Using Simu5G as a Realtime Network Emulator to Test MEC Apps in an End-To-End 5G Testbed

摘要

Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) allows users to run applications on demand near their mobile access points. MEC applications will exploit 5G infrastructure, and they will have to be designed by taking into account the characteristics of 5G mobile networks. This work describes how to use a system-level simulator of 5G networks – namely Simu5G, which evolves the popular 4G network simulator SimuLTE – as a real-time 5G net-work emulator. This allows designers of networked applications – and MEC ones in particular – to use it as a testbed during the deployment. We describe the system setup of Simu5G as an emulator, and its emulation capabilities and scale. Moreover, we present a case study of a MEC testbed using Intel’s Open Network Edge Services Software (OpenNESS) toolkit, based on a recent demon-stration in 5GAA (5G Automotive Association).